Son of Henry of Hohenstaufen and Costanza d'Altavilla, he was left orphan of his father when he was three, so that the Reign of Sicily was entrusted to Costanza d' Altavilla until her death in 1198, the same year in which Innocenzo III became Pope and, though he was Federico II's  tutor, he tried to oppose him to his own favor.
After 8 years of contrasts between Papacy and Empire the Pope managed to have Federico II granted who, aged 14, came of age by a self appointing, married Costanza of Aragon and as a result of a political storm leading to the excommunication of Ottone IV of Bavaria, first he was made King of Sicily and Emperor after the defeat of Ottone by Philip August of France.
At 20, freed of Pope protection died in 1216, he was King of Germany, Sicily and Puglia and could act politically with his own free interpretation creating in a short time an immense linguistic and classic culture. Immediately he reordered his favourite Reign of Sicily, he appointed his son Henry, King of the Romans, in 1220 he had himself officially crowned Emperor at Saint Peter's. Gregory IX replaced Onorio III after his death was in contrast with the Emperor because of the crusade to which he participated in 1227 but from which he returned early because of an epidemic, and he was excommunicated and persecuted from the Pope who feared his increasing popularity and power.
For that Federico II left to Jerusalem again conquering it pacifically. Availing himself of his departure the Pope conquered its possessions in Sicily and Puglia but at his return, he was forced to give him back everything and to sign, in 1230, a peace treaty.
Later the war between them began again harder than before. During the war he succeeded to increase his reputation of enlightened monarch. He was excommunicated again by Gregory IX to whom Innocenzo IV succeeded that confirmed the excommunication and announced publicly a crusade against him by all Christian people.
After incredible fights Federico II died in 1250. His figure remains one of the most important of history and he is remembered for his merit to have united the cultures of three civilizations such as the Norman, Arab and Greek-Latin ones.
Palermo became the cradle of Italian intellectuality, he founded the famous Sicilian poetic school of provenzal inspiration, the University of Naples and he increased the medical school of Salerno. He favored the scientific studies and he was even a writer.

This recipe is the symbol of the gastronomic union of northern people with those of the Mediterranean basin, who for at least 1000 years, in particular ceremonies, are used to feed with rice cooked in the milk and savoured with almonds.
A symbolic union between North and South Europe, searched and longed by our Emperor Federico II.

Rice with milk and almonds
KITCHEN CHEF: F.G. for Marchenet
REALIZATION: Rice with milk and almonds
Number of the portions, 4			WORKING METHOD
INGREDIENTS	U.M.	Q.ta
Milk Rice  (already cooked 12 minutes in little salty water) Sugar (or honey) Butter Almonds  (half-cooked and peeled)	l gr.   gr. gr. gr.	1 200   60 25 50
			1 - Cook rice, rather to the tooth, in the lightly salty water; 2 - Half-cook the almonds in abundant little salty water, strain and peel them; cook it in the lukewarm milk for 10 minutes; 3 -Strain the almonds and add the sugar in the lukewarm milk melting it well; 4 - Mince the cooked almonds; 5 - Finish cooking rice at low temperature with the sweetened milk, being careful, 3 minutes before, at adding the minced of almonds to the compound; 6 - Spread with butter a steel ring mould, strew with little sugar and fill it up with the cooked and strained rice; 7 - Press lightly in order to conform the compound and make it cool at least 4 hours in the refrigerator; 8 - Serve turning upside down on a course plate. Marchenet
Tools : Bucket, Casserole, Small pot, Wooden spoon,  Colander, Ring Mould, Spatula, Spoon, Ladle.	Sauces:			Presentation: It is possible to decorate it with visciole or cherries cooked in the red wine or little cherries or candy petals of rose poured into the circle of rice with a light sauce of cherry cooking.
	Difficulty Degree: